The Fossil Hunter of Sydney Mines Read Online Free Page A

car?” she asked, trying to delay the inevitable. “It wasn’t in the driveway last night.”
    â€œThe car? Oh, it broke down on me while I was coming home from work. I just had that thing in for servicing last week!” she said, looking puzzled. “Rick Stanley was kind enough to give me a lift home. Lucky for me he happened to be driving by. Anyway, he was asking how we’re doing. I invited him over for dinner.”
    â€œWhy do you want him over here?”
    â€œRick’s been a friend of your father’s since they were children. He’s been calling and wanting to come over and check on us for ages, but I just haven’t been up to it. He has such wonderful stories about your father.” She sighed and stared off into space.
    â€œMom?”
    â€œHmm? Oh, right, we were talking about you.” Her mother poured a cup of coffee from the steaming carafe. “I thought about this all night, Grace. I’m going give you one more day of freedom, if you promise to behave. But starting tomorrow you’re to come straight home after school. No detours and no going out.”
    Grace sat still, stunned. No going out? Did she say no going out?
    â€œThis is for your own good,” her mother continued, wrapping her hands around the Old Fossil mug that Grace had made for her father. “I can’t be worrying about you all the time, out doing goodness knows what, especially now that I have more night shifts at the ferry terminal…not to mention my manicure customers.”
    â€œMom, no way!” Grace’s spoon splattered into her cereal bowl. “I’ve got important stuff to do! It’s not fair!”
    â€œFair? You think this is a debate? And what important stuff are you talking about? You’re only thirteen, for heaven’s sake.” Her mother started to walk away, then turned back. Her face was grave. “I’m warning you, Grace,” she said, tapping a brochure on the fridge as she left.

    Grace was furious as she biked to school. Her mother was one extreme or the other lately. Grace never knew what she’d face. Sometimes her mom would get really upset and overreact as if she were some kind of army sergeant, like now. Other times, she’d be the total opposite, all gushy and gooey. Grace usually hated the gushy-gooey mood more; it felt fake. But it would have been better this morning—gushy-gooey mom would do anything she wanted.
    â€œWhat are you going to do, Grace?” Mai typed away on the keyboard as they huddled around the computer monitor in class. They were supposed to be researching the tar ponds cleanup for a school project.
    â€œI don’t know. I’m grounded starting tomorrow. I wish we could go to Point Aconi today after school. But it would take too long to get there and my mom’s not working tonight.”
    â€œBut if you’re not home tomorrow after school, you’re gonna be toast,” Fred piped in. “We’d be gone until dark.”
    â€œI’ve got to find out what’s going on,” Grace whispered. “I mean, think about it. The fossil museum is where Dad worked, and its name just happens to be on the envelope that some mystery guy left by my locker. Rick Stanley still works there. I never liked him all that much—my dad was always loaning him money.” She wrinkled her nose at the memory. “My mom doesn’t know about that, though. She thinks he’s nice. ”
    â€œShhhh,” Mai hushed. “Here comes Mr. Grange.”
    â€œAnd have we learned anything about the tar ponds and the cleanup project?” Mr. Grange asked. “Or are you three too busy chatting?”
    â€œNo, Mr. Grange,” Mai said. “We were working on it.”
    â€œWhat have you got so far?” Mr. Grange asked.
    Grace gulped. She hadn’t been paying any attention to the sites Mai had looked up.
    â€œThe steel plant in Sydney left behind over